Professional SCUBA Repair in North Hollywood

[Bryan]

Professional Scuba Repair was run by Al Thompson which he started in the late 50's until he retired in the late 80's. The other company mentioned on Gothard St in Huntington Beach was National Scuba Repair. When the Navy went to US Divers to get more double hose parts for their regs, they were directed to Professional Scuba Repair after USD stopped producing parts. Professional Scuba would normally buy out the remaining inventory of parts when the manufacturers would stop making parts for older regulators. The Navy ended up buying most of the USD double hose parts that were left in Pro Scuba's inventory. A few years later, I ended up buying out the remaining inventory of everything from Pro Scuba. It wasn't the Holy Grail, but it sure put a smile on my face loading all those parts into a U-Haul. This reminds me I have a Professional Scuba Repair coffee mug somewhere that I need to dig up.

Mike, if you send me the coffee cup I promise it will become my favorite and I'll put my Hello Kitty cup in the cabinet

Thanks for sharing the information, please share more.

[Bryan]

Professional Scuba Repair was run by Al Thompson which he started in the late 50's until he retired in the late 80's. The other company mentioned on Gothard St in Huntington Beach was National Scuba Repair. When the Navy went to US Divers to get more double hose parts for their regs, they were directed to Professional Scuba Repair after USD stopped producing parts. Professional Scuba would normally buy out the remaining inventory of parts when the manufacturers would stop making parts for older regulators. The Navy ended up buying most of the USD double hose parts that were left in Pro Scuba's inventory. A few years later, I ended up buying out the remaining inventory of everything from Pro Scuba. It wasn't the Holy Grail, but it sure put a smile on my face loading all those parts into a U-Haul. This reminds me I have a Professional Scuba Repair coffee mug somewhere that I need to dig up.

Mike, if you send me the coffee cup I promise it will become my favorite and I'll put my Hello Kitty cup in the cabinet

Thanks for sharing the information, please share more.

[frogman63]

When I was living in the LA area (1972 to 1974), I found out that a number of the dive shops sent their repair work to Professional Scuba Repair. I started taking my equipment to them directly. Al Thompson would always take the time to explain what had to be done to my reg, valve, or tank. He wore a kind of a lab coat, so you felt that you were like somewhere between a machine shop and a doctor's office. I still have some of the information sheets that he handed out that recommended maintenance and care procedures for various pieces of equipment. The cost to overhaul a two stage, double hose regulator back then was $13.50. Brings back good memories.
Brian

[USdiver]

Google is your friend:

http://www.hollywooddivers.com/about-us.aspx

Looks like they are still around, or at least another dive shop is at a nearby location.

[ovalis]

Hollywood Divers is a completely different entity that started years after Pro Scuba shut down and is not really that close to where Pro Scuba was.

Jerry, I didn't work for neither of them, but it's funny you mentioned that because the one time I went down to National Scuba looking for double hose parts, they were all out and their focus was primarily on air compressors and not really scuba repair anymore. Actually when Al Thompson retired, he went into designing air compressor systems as well from what I heard. I work for Sport Chalet Divers who ended up buying out Professional Scuba Repair. When Sport Chalet bought them, they came to the decision shortly after that they were not going to repair older regulators, just current regs that we sold, with the exception of Scubapro which we weren't a dealer for at the time. I asked them what are they going to do with all the old parts and they said "dump it". I think I had the U-Haul pulled up to the dock door before they could finish their sentence. It wasn't free, but I didn't pay that much either compared to what was in there. There was some rare parts in there that you don't see very often, but there was one regulator sitting in pieces in there that had most of the parts there that I was able to put back together. A US Divers black tag....

Bryan, I'll give the coffee mug some thought, but it was given to me as a xmas gift. It must be really sentimental since I can't locate it right now
If you saw the amount of stuff I have (even besides scuba) you'd know why I can't find anything. I'm getting better though. I do have Pro Scuba literature that I'll try to find and scan for you.

[Bronze06]

Google Earth the address it's a studio now . Go to street view THEN go to the pink apartments in the alleyway BEHIND the studio and then zoom in on the "garage" of the back of the studio. What do you see?:D

[Bryan]

Bryan, I'll give the coffee mug some thought, but it was given to me as a xmas gift. It must be really sentimental since I can't locate it right now
If you saw the amount of stuff I have (even besides scuba) you'd know why I can't find anything. I'm getting better though. I do have Pro Scuba literature that I'll try to find and scan for you.

I'll bring a U-haul and help you get rid of all that dangerous old scuba stuff. Old Broncos are much safer I hear... Your family will thank me for it

[ScubaLawyer]

Google Earth the address it's a studio now . Go to street view THEN go to the pink apartments in the alleyway BEHIND the studio and then zoom in on the "garage" of the back of the studio. What do you see?:D

Well if the old sign isn't still there. Someone needs to save that sign for the history books. I'll bet the owner would take ten bucks for it. Midnight run anyone? Mark.

Garage PSR.jpg

Zoom

Garage Zoom1.jpg

[SeaHuntJerry]

Hi I still have some recipts plus parts lists etc.when I use to order double hose,hoses,duck bills one way valves etc form Nat'l scuba repair in the 80's.

[ovalis]

I'll bring a U-haul and help you get rid of all that dangerous old scuba stuff. Old Broncos are much safer I hear... Your family will thank me for it

You would be my wife's best friend for sure after that, but you would need to take the Broncos & the Chevy's plus all parts, engines, etc, then on to all the music stuff, records, magazines, newspapers, posters. This may end be a weight lifted off my shoulders!

Hi I still have some recipts plus parts lists etc.when I use to order double hose,hoses,duck bills one way valves etc form Nat'l scuba repair in the 80's.

Jerry you probably bought up all there stuff. By the time I got there in 89 or 90 it was gone!

[Bryan]

Mike Scanned the price sheet for Professional Scuba Repair.
LINK TO PDF

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Professional Scuba Repair 1.jpg

Professional Scuba Repair 2.jpg

[ovalis]

In looking at the information sheet for Pro Scuba, it reminded that I heard Al Thompson came up with and sold the tank inspection light for VIP's. I'm sure there were a bunch of people throughout the country that came up the same or similar ideas to get the job done as well, but Al's light was sold throughout the country and I'm sure copied and made by other people.
Also forgot about his unique hydro stamp that shown in the upper left of their info page. Most hydro shops have some number between the date to identify the facility, but theirs was a symbol which I find unusual. He did some unusual work as well that would never fly today, such as fabricating his own parts when needed to make something work, or cutting down 1/2" tapered tank necks when the valve threads were worn out and the valve would bottom out. The days when you could get away with doing things like that....

[Creed]

This is great information, and pretty much what I was hoping to find out. Thanks, everyone!

[USdiver]

I think that "Tank inspection with a light designed for this purpose" photo may just be the winner of this year's photo contest. It is classic SCUBA nerd, way to go Professional SCUBA Repair!

My VIP light looks very similar to Al's so yes his invention has traveled far from Hollywood, CA.

[captain]

I don't remember the exact year, sometime in the 70's I believe DOT had not yet adopted the ID number system to identify hydro testers. Prior to that many places had their own personal stamp symbol or just used a dash between month and year.